Today, as we continue to revel in the glories of the Easter season, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. Today’s readings reflect on the love Jesus has for us and his deep concern for each one of us individually. The focus is on Jesus, the shepherd and guardian of our souls, as Saint Peter describes him.

Even if we don’t have a direct experience of sheep, we may know that sheep do not have the reputation for being particularly smart. It takes a certain amount of humility for us as humans who pride ourselves on our independence and intelligence to compare ourselves to sheep in Jesus’ flock. Still, Jesus’ parable in the Gospel demonstrates the wisdom of sheep. The sheep are wise enough to recognize the voice of their shepherd, who has taken care of them and in whom they trust. They follow their shepherd and refuse to follow the voice of a stranger, whom they don’t know or trust.

As Christians, we are called to recognize the voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus, and to follow him in our daily lives. One way to recognize the voice of the shepherd is to stay with the other members of the flock, the Church. In the past two thousand years, the Church has echoed down to us the voice of Jesus through the Scriptures and Tradition. When we attend Mass regularly, receive the sacraments, and reflect on the Scriptures, we hear Jesus telling us how to live in our own particular circumstances. We are open to hearing his words of love, encouragement, and comfort in difficult times, as well as his commands to live out the Gospel message in our love for God and our care for our neighbor in need.

Jesus came to earth, suffered, and died so that we might have abundant life. As we strive to follow him, do we know in our hearts as well as our heads of the love that our Shepherd has for us? Do we trust him in our daily lives, in times of struggle, sadness, or doubt? Do we realize that, as we try to live out our daily call as Christians, Jesus wants to bring us comfort and take us to safe pastures in his presence?

As we strive to follow the Good Shepherd, let us pray for the grace to imitate sheep in their recognition of the Shepherd’s voice and in their absolute trust of his love and concern for us. And let us pray for members of Jesus’ flock, and for those not yet of his flock, that all might faithfully follow him and inspire others to join the fold of the Good Shepherd.

(Fr. Michał Pająk, OMI, April 26, 2026)